Association between learning environment and well-being of postgraduate residents in Kuwait

A positive educational environment in postgraduate medical education can immensely affect academic outcomes and lower residents' chances of burnout. However, no studies were conducted in Kuwait to examine the educational environment and its association with residents' well-being. This study aims to investigate the association between the current learning environment and the well-being of the trainees who are having rotations in hospitals in Kuwait.

A cross-sectional survey was distributed to all residents currently enrolled in postgraduate medical and dental educational programs. The survey included the Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure (PHEEM) and the World Health Organization (WHO)-5 Well-Being Index. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to measure the correlation between two quantitative variables, and linear regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with the well-being score.

The analysis included 184 residents. The mean scores for role autonomy perception, teaching perception, and social support perception were 31.28 ± 11.33, 35.15 ± 13.72, and 23.14 ± 8.57, respectively, with a mean total PHEEM score of 89.58 ± 32.2. Residents' well-being scores ranged from 5 to 25, with a mean of 12.26 ± 4.35. In regression analysis, increased role autonomy, teaching, and social support perception scores were associated with higher well-being. In a multivariable model, each one-unit increase in social support perception score was significantly associated with higher well-being by 0.16 (95%CI: 0.03 to 0.3, P = 0.014), which indicates the positive correlation between the social support elements in the educational environment and residents' well-being. However, the study's limitations, including small sample size and nonresponse bias, should be considered.

Assessing the hospital educational environment and residents' well-being has provided vital insights into the strengths and areas needing improvement in postgraduate medical education. Addressing identified areas for improvement can significantly enhance the educational environment, thereby improving trainee satisfaction and well-being. Future studies should focus on confirming the results of this study, assessing proper interventions to improve the educational environment and focusing on social support interventions to improve residents' well-being.